the paths of inland commerce-第22章

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*　Op。　cit。


This　Pennsylvania　route　was　likewise　famous　because　it　included　the　first　tunnel　in　America；　but　with　the　advance　of　years；　tunnel；　planes；　and　canal　were　supplanted　by　what　was　to　become　in　time　the　Pennsylvania　Railroad；　the　pride　of　the　State　and　one　of　the　great　highways　of　the　nation。

In　the　year　before　Pennsylvania　investigated　her　western　water　route；　a　joint　bill　was　introduced　into　the　legislatures　of　the　Potomac　Valley　States；　proposing　a　Potomac　Canal　Company　which　should　construct　a　Chesapeake　and　Ohio　canal　at　the　expense　of　Maryland；　Virginia；　and　the　District　of　Columbia。　The　plan　was　of　vital　moment　to　Alexandria　and　Georgetown　on　the　Potomac；　but　unless　a　lateral　canal　could　be　built　to　Baltimore；　that　city　which　paid　a　third　of　Maryland's　taxeswould　be　called　on　to　supply　a　great　sum　to　benefit　only　her　chief　rivals。　The　bitter　struggle　which　now　developed　is　one　of　the　most　significant　in　commercial　history　because　of　its　sequel。

The　conditions　underlying　this　rivalry　must　not　be　lost　sight　of。　Baltimore　had　done　more　than　any　other　Eastern　city　to　ally　herself　with　the　West　and　to　obtain　its　trade。　She　had　instinctively　responded　to　every　move　made　by　her　rivals　in　the　great　game。　If　Pennsylvania　promoted　a　Lancaster　Turnpike；　Baltimore　threw　out　her　superb　Baltimore…Reisterstown　boulevard；　though　her　northern　road　to　Philadelphia　remained　the　slough　that　Brissot　and　Baily　had　found　it。　If　New　York　projected　an　Erie　Canal；　Baltimore　successfully　championed　the　building　of　a　Cumberland　Road　by　a　governmental　godmother。　So　thoroughly　and　quickly；　indeed；　did　she　link　her　system　of　stone　roads　to　that　great　artery；　that　even　today　many　well…informed　writers　seem　to　be　under　the　impression　that　the　Cumberland　Road　ran　from　the　Ohio　to　Washington　and　Baltimore。　Now；　with　canals　building　to　the　north　of　her　and　canals　to　the　south　of　her；　what　of　her　prestige　and　future？

For　the　moment　Baltimore　compromised　by　agreeing　to　a　Chesapeake　and　Ohio　canal　which；　by　a　lateral　branch；　should　still　lead　to　her　market　square。　Her　scheme　embraced　a　vision　of　conquest　regal　in　its　sweep；　beyond　that　of　any　rival；　and　comprehending　two　ideas　worthy　of　the　most　farseeing　strategist　and　the　most　astute　politician。　It　called　not　only　for　the　building　of　a　transmontane　canal　to　the　Ohio　but　also　for　a　connecting　canal　from　the　Ohio　to　the　Great　Lakes。　Not　only　would　the　trade　of　the　Northwest　be　secured　by　this　meansfor　this　southerly　route　would　not　be　affected　by　winter　frosts　as　would　those　of　Pennsylvania　and　New　Yorkbut　the　good　godmother　at　Washington　would　be　almost　certain　to　champion　it　and　help　to　build　it　since　the　proposed　route　was　so　thoroughly　interstate　in　character。　With　the　backing　of　Maryland；　Virginia；　Western　Pennsylvania；　Ohio；　and　probably　several　States　bordering　the　Inland　Lakes；　government　aid　in　the　undertaking　seemed　feasible　and　proper。

Theoretically　the　daring　scheme　captured　the　admiration　of　all　who　were　to　be　benefited　by　it。　At　a　great　banquet　at　Washington；　late　in　1823；　the　project　was　launched。　Adams；　Clay；　and　Calhoun　took　the　opportunity　to　ally　themselves　with　it　by　robustly　declaring　themselves　in　favor　of　widespread　internal　improvements。　Even　the　godmother　smiled　upon　it　for；　following　Monroe's　recommendation；　Congress　without　hesitation　voted　thirty　thousand　dollars　for　the　preliminary　survey　from　Washington　to　Pittsburgh。　Quickly　the　Chesapeake　and　Ohio　Canal　Company　and　the　connecting　Maryland　Canal　Company　were　formed；　and　steps　were　taken　to　have　Ohio　promote　an　Ohio　and　Lake　Erie　Company。

As　high　as　were　the　hopes　awakened　by　this　movement；　just　so　deep　was　the　dejection　and　chagrin　into　which　its　advocates　were　thrown　upon　receiving　the　report　of　the　engineers　who　made　the　preliminary　survey。　The　estimated　cost　ran　towards　a　quarter　of　a　billion；　four　times　the　capital　stock　of　the　company；　and　there　were　not　lacking　those　who　pointed　out　that　the　Erie　Canal　had　cost　more　than　double　the　original　appropriation　made　for　it。

The　situation　was　aggravated　for　Baltimore　by　the　fact　that　Maryland　and　Virginia　were　willing　to　take　half　a　loaf　if　they　could　not　get　a　whole　one：　in　other　words；　they　were　willing　to　build　the　canal　up　the　Potomac　to　Cumberland　and　stop　there。　Baltimore；　even　if　linked　to　this　partial　scheme；　would　lose　her　water　connection　with　the　West；　the　one　prized　asset　which　the　project　had　held　out；　and　her　Potomac　Valley　rivals　would；　on　this　contracted　plan；　be　in　a　particularly　advantageous　position　to　surpass　her。　But　the　last　blow　was　yet　to　come。　Engineers　reported　that　a　lateral　canal　connecting　the　Potomac　and　Chesapeake　Bay　was　not　feasible。　It　was　consequently　of　little　moment　whether　the　Chesapeake　and　Ohio　Canal　could　be　built　across　the　Alleghanies　or　not；　for；　even　if　it　could　have　been　carried　through　the　Great　Plains　or　to　the　Pacific；　Baltimore　was；　for　topographical　reasons；　out　of　the　running。

The　men　of　Baltimore　now　gave　one　of　the　most　striking　illustrations　of　spirit　and　pluck　ever　exhibited　by　the　people　of　any　city。　They　refused　to　accept　defeat。　If　engineering　science　held　a　means　of　overcoming　the　natural　disadvantages　of　their　position；　they　were　determined　to　adopt　that　means；　come　what　would　of　hardship；　difficulty；　and　expenditure。　If　roads　and　canals　would　not　serve　the　city　on　the　Chesapeake；　what　of　the　railroad　on　which　so　many　experiments　were　being　made　in　England？

The　idea　of　controlling　the　trade　of　the　West　by　railroads　was　not　new。　As　early　as　February；　1825；　certain　astute　Pennsylvanians　had　advocated　building　a　railroad　to　Pittsburgh　instead　of　a　canal；　and　in　a　memorial　to　the　Legislature　they　had　set　forth　the　theory　that　a　railroad　could　be　built　in　one…third　of　the　time　and　could　be　operated　with　one…third　of　the　number　of　employees　required　by　a　canal；　that　it　would　never　be　frozen；　and　that　its　cost　of　construction　would　be　less。　But　these　arguments　did　not　influence　the　majority；　who　felt　that　to　follow　the　line　of　least　resistance　and　to　do　as　others　had　done　would　involve　the　least　hazard。　But　Baltimore；　with　her　back　against　the　wall；　did　not　have　the　alternative　of　a　canal。　It　was　a　leap　into　the　unknown　for　her　or　commercial　stagnation。

It　is　regrettable　that；　as　Baltimore　began　to　break　this　fresh　track；　she　should　have　had　political　as　well　as　physical　and　mechanical　obstacles　to　overcome。　The　conquest　of　the　natural　difficulties　alone　required　superhuman　effort　and　endurance。　But　Baltimore　had　also　to　fight　a　miserable　internecine　warfare　in　her　own　State；　for　Maryland　immediately　subscribed　half　a　million　to　the　canal　as　well　as　to　the　newly　formed　Baltimore　and　Ohio　Railroad。　In　rival　pageants；　both　companies　broke　ground　on　July　4；　1828；　and　the　race　to　the　Ohio　was　on。　The　canal　company　clung　doggedly　to　the　idle　belief　that　their　enterprise　was　still　of　continental　proportions；　since　it　would　connect　at　Cumberland　with　the　Cumberland　Road。　This　exaggerated　estimate　of　the　importance　of　the　undertaking　shines　out　in　the　pompous　words　of　President　Mercer；　at　the　time　when　construction　was　begun：

〃There　are　moments　in　the　progress　of　time；　which　are　counters　of　whole　ages。　There　are　events；　the　monuments　of　which；　surviving　every　other　memorial　of　human　existence；　eternize　the　nation　to　whose　history　they　belong；　after　all　other　vestiges　of　its　glory　have　disappeared　from　the　globe。　At　such　a　moment　have　we　now　arrived。〃

This　oracular　language　lacks　the　simple　but　winning　straightforwardness　of　the　words　which　Director　Morris　uttered　on　the　same　day　near　Baltimore　and　which　prove　how　distinctly　Western　the　new　railway　project　was　held　to　be：

〃We　are　about　opening　a　channel　through　which　the　commerce　of　the　mighty　country　beyond　the　Allegheny　must　seek　the　oceanwe　are　about　affording　facilities　of　intercourse　between　the　East　and　West；　which　will　bind　the　one　more　closely　to　the　other；　beyond　the　power　of　an　increased　population　or　sectional　differences　to　disunite。〃

The　difficulties　which　faced　the　Baltimore　enthusiasts　in　their　task　of　keeping　their　city　〃on　the　map〃　would　have　daunted　men　of　less　heroic　mold。　Every　conceivable　trial　and　test　which　nature　and